August 26, 2008
Bilfinger Berger wins concession project in Canadian health-care sector
A project company owned by Bilfinger Berger and infrastructure developer John Laing has been selected to carry out a privately-financed hospital project in Canada. The company, in which both Bilfinger Berger and John Laing hold a 50% stake, will finance, design, build and then, over a period of 30 years, operate two health-care centers in Kelowna and Vernon, 400 kilometers east of Vancouver. Investment volume amounts to €260 million and Bilfinger Berger’s equity commitment is €8.5 million. This project expands Bilfinger Berger’s concessions business in Canada from transport infrastructure to social infrastructure.
The project will significantly improve health-care provision in the region, where the population is growing fast. In Kelowna, modern new testing and treatment areas will cover 37,000 square meters of floor space. Part of the new building will be occupied by the University of British Columbia Medical School, allowing it to become a clinical-academic campus. The city of Vernon, about 50 kilometers away, will receive a 17,000 square-meter diagnostic and therapy center. The entire project incorporates sustainability features that meet the strictest requirements of the Canadian Green Building Council. The new buildings are equipped with geothermal heating and cooling systems, green roofs and a charging station for electric vehicles.
Bilfinger Berger has already established itself as a leading provider of transport infrastructure projects in Canada. In Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and in the Rocky Mountains the Company is designing, financing building and operating major highways with a total volume of €1.7 billion and in which it has made an equity commitment of €87 million. Bilfinger Berger’s concessions portfolio currently consists of 24 transport and real-estate projects for which the Group has provided equity capital in excess of €290 million.